The long-standing rumors around R. Kelly's alleged sexual abuse have begun to take a toll on his career, as it was announced that he will no longer be performing at an upcoming show in his hometown of Chicago.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Kelly's performance at this Saturday's 2018 Love Jam at the UIC Pavilion was cancelled after students from the university petitioned the school to take action, citing the long string of allegations against Kelly. The petition was posted a last week, and by Friday had amassed more than 1,300 signatures.
Kelly took to Instagram to apologize to his fans for not being able to attend the show, stating that all the allegations against him are simply "rumors."
"I don't know why they cancelled the show," said Kelly. "I've never heard of a show being cancelled because of rumors." He also mentions that he's considering taking legal action against the university, and that it's not his fault that the show was cancelled.
While Kelly has lived with these allegations for some time now, a recent BBC documentary, showcasing his alleged history of sexual misconduct and abuse, has suddenly made the situation much more serious. Allegations that he was running a "sex cult", grooming an underage girl for sex, and purposely drugging and infecting a woman with an STD, have resulted in the cancellation of the show, as well as his personal assistant and his attorney resigning.
Watch the video of R. Kelly apologizing to his fans for the cancellation of his show below.